Girolamo Vassallo

{{Short description|Italian medallist}}

Girolamo Vassallo, also known as Gerolamo or Hieronymus Vassallo was an Italian engraver and medallist, born in Genoa in 1773 and died on 10 March 1819 in Milan.{{Cite book |last=Bolzenthal |first=Heinrich |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0wcqAAAAYAAJ&dq=Girolamo+Vassallo&pg=PA304 |title=Skizzen zur Kunstgeschichte der modernen Medaillen-Arbeit (1429-1840) |date=1840 |publisher=C. Heymann |pages=304 |language=de}}{{Cite web |title=Collections Online {{!}} British Museum |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG209069 |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=www.britishmuseum.org}} He was a student of Franz Joseph Salwirk{{Cite book |last=Nagler |first=Georg Kaspar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sgVVAAAAcAAJ&dq=Girolamo+Vassallo&pg=PA471 |title=Neues allgemeines Künstler-Lexicon oder Nachrichten von dem Leben und den Werken der Maler, Bildhauer, ... |date=1849 |publisher=E.A. Fleischmann |pages=471 |language=de}} and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of Genoa around 1788.{{Cite book |last=Forrer |first=Leonard |title=Biographical Dictionary of Medallists |year=1916 |volume=6 [T-Z] |pages=204–206}} Later, he became the apprentice of chief engraver Anton Guillemard, at the Mint of Milan. In 1797, he moved to the Mint of Genoa and became chief engraver there in 1800. In 1808, he moved to Milan to assist Luigi Manfredini.{{Cite web |title=MDC Monnaies de Collection sarl - Auction 9 Lot 996 |url=https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?lot=996&p=lot&sid=5640 |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=www.numisbids.com}} Financial concerns and ill health led the artist to suicide in March 1819.

Vassallo is the author of the coins of Genoa until 1808, the coins of the Ligurian Republic of 1797 and 1805, as well as numerous Genovese, Milanese, and French medals. He also engraved several state medals for Francis I of Austria.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ys1SAAAAcAAJ&dq=Girolamo+Vassallo&pg=PA187 |title=Catalogue de la collection de monnaies de feu Christian Jürgensen Thomsen: III,2 |date=1871 |publisher=Thiele |pages=187 |language=fr}}